Control apparatus



Patented (List. 31., 1922.

JOHN S. MGNHIRTER, OF NEW YORK, N. 51.,

team

in it ASQIGNSR Ti) 'WESTIltiG-HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPOETMLTIQ'N O It"Elil'ldSY'LVAlfTIiA.

GONTRGL APPARATUS.

Application filed June 9 To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN S. i /IOYt HIB'EER, a itizen oi" the United States. and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control Apparatus, of which the following: is a specification.

My ini'ei'ition plates to control apparatus for dynamo-electric machines and particularly to platform-1nounted control apparatus for electric railway vehicles.

Une object of my invention is to provide a foot-operated electric controlling means and a brake-controlling means, preferably the familiar engineers va lve,'that is located in substantial alinement' with. or in proximity to, the foot-operated mechanism to be actuated thereby. 1

Another object of invention is to provide a combined foot-controlled apparatus of the above-indicated type which shall be relatively compact in arrangement, convenient to operate and inexpensive to repair by reason" of the relatively small number of necessary parts.

invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a combined control apparatus constructedand arranged in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view, in end elevation, of portion of the apparatus that is shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is complete controlling apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, the structure here shown comprises an electric controlling means 1 which may be of the familiar drumcontroller type; a brake-controlling means 2, preferably the well-known engineers valve for air brake systems; and an inter mediately located foot-operated mechanism 3 for simultaneously governing the electric and the air-bral e-controlling apparatus.

Theelectric controlling means 1 is shown as comprising a drum structure 5 that is rigidly mounted upon an operating shaft 6 and carries suitable contact segments 7 for engaging the desired. combinations of control fingers 8, in accordance with familiar practice. For the purpose of biasing the entire mechanism to the illustrated position, wherein emergency-braking operation of view. in rear elevation, of the 1919. serial No. 302,664l.

controller is illustrated-as having five posi-I tions, respectively labeled Emergency, to which reterence has just been made; tiervice corresponding to service application oi the air brakes; Lap corresponding to the familiar. lap operation of the engineers valve; Brake release for effect-ingrelease of the air-brakes before current is supplied to the car-propelling motors:and Run corresponding to the acceleration of the motors. i i

It will be understood that, if desired, the electric controlling means maybe of any other type and, forexample, may take the form'of a simple contact-.malrer and breaker. as set forth in my co-pending. application, Serial No. 277,873, filed February lS, 1919.

The engineers valve 2 comprises a suitably chambered casing or cylinderlfi, with which-a plurality of supply and outlet pipes 11 communicate, and the familiar detachable operating handle 12.

It will be understood that the air-brake valve 2 in the present case is adapted to CC. cupy five operative positions corresponding to the five positions of the control drum 5; In this case, the brake-release and run positions are identical in that no modification of the braking control is effected by moving the engineers valve beyond the F brake-release positionto the run post tion. 'However, if the abovementioned simple'contact-malzer and breaker is employed as an electric controlling means, the engineers valve need be provided with only the four usual positions,-the run position be-. ing omitted. l I Y 'lhe foot-operating mechanism 3 com.- prises a preferably detachable pedal or foot lever 13 that is mounted upon asleeve 14;. which is rigidly secured to the operating shaft 6 by meansofa; set-screw 15, for example. A suitable pedestal of bearing-blocl 16 supports the outer end of the shaftfi, to which a pin 17 or other suitable means serves to secure one end of a right-angle arm or lever 18, the other end of which is forked or bifurcated to engage the shank of the op erating handle 12 for the engineers valve 2. It will be observed that the engineers valve 2 is located in substantial alinement with the foot-operated mechanism 3 and requires only the right-angle arm 18 to provide actuation of the valve in accordance with the movements of the foot-lever 13. If desired, the operating handle 12 for the valve may be omitted, and a direct coupling of the valve rod and the shaft 6 may then be provided. v

The operation of the illustrated apparatus may be briefly set forth as follows. Under normal conditions, the apparatus occupies the emergency-breaking position, as previously mentioned. Upon the application of foot-pressure to the pedal 13, the apparatus is actuated throngh' its successive positions Service and Lap to the brake-release position, whereby the application of the vehicle brakes is released. Upon further movement of the toot lever 13, the run position of the controller .5 isoccupied to effect electric control of the car-propelling motors in any suitable manner, which need not be described in detail here.

- It will be understood that the structural details and. arrangement of parts herein shown may be modified to meet particular operating conditions without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: I

1. In a vehicle, the combination with electric controlling means and foot-operated means forgoverning said controlling means,

of brake-controlling means located in sub stantial'axial alinement with said footeoperated means to be actuatedthereby.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with electric controlling means and foot-operated means for governing said controlling means,

of an air-,brake controlling valve located in substantial axial alinement with said footoperated means to be actuated thereby.

3. In a vehicle, the combination with. elec tric controlling means and a foot-operated member for governing said controlling means, of graduated air brake-e0ntrolling means located in proximity to said foot-operated member, and single means for mechanically connecting said brake-controlling means and said foot-operated member.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with elect tric controlling means and foot-operated member for governing said controlling means, of an 'air-brake-controlling valve located in proximity to said -foot-operated member, and means for mechanically connecting said valve and said foot-operated member. 3 V, I U

5. Ina vehicle, the combinatio-nwith electric controlling means and a foot-operated member for governing said controlling means, of brake-controlling means having a horizontally-extending operating member, and single means for mechanically connecting said members;

6. In a vehicle, the combination with electric controlling means and a toot-operated member for governing said controlling means, of an air-brake-controlling valve having a horizontally-extending operating stem, and means for mechanically connecting said member with said stem.

7. In a vehicle, the combination with an electric controller and brake-controlling means located in substantial axial alinement therewith,of intermediately located toot-operated means for concurrently actuating said controller and said brake-controlling means. 8. In a vehicle, the combination with a multi-position electric controller and an air brake-controlling valve located in substantial axial alinement therewith, of an intermediately located. foot-operated member for concurrently actuating said controller and said valve through the various positions thereof. 9. In a vehicle, the combinationwitha multi-position electric controller having an operating shaft and brake-controlling means having an operating member extending in substantial axial alinement with said shaft, of means for mechanically connecting said shaft and said operating member, and foot operated means secured to said shaft. I

10. In a vehicle, the combination with a multi-position electric controller having a horizontally-extending operating shaft; of an air-brake-controlling valve havinga horizontally-extending operating stem, of means for mechanically connecting said shaft. and said stem, and a toot-operated niember -secured to said shaft. g

11. In -a vehicle, the combination with electric controlling means and operating means for governing said controlling means, of air brakecontrolling means located in substantial axial and horizontal alinement with said operating n'ieans to be actuated thereby. p i

12. In a. vehicle, the combination with electric controlling means and body-operated means for governing said controlling means, of an air-brakecontrolling valve located in substantial horizontal axial alinement with said body-operated means to be lactuated thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of May, 1919. x

JOHN s. McWHIRTER. 

